Logan's teeth came in early!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Test photo upload
Test photo upload from my phone.
Logan's teeth came in early!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Logan's teeth came in early!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
7 months...
Hey gang -
On Sunday the twins turned 7 months old... of course that's just 4 months old if you correct their age for the 3 months premature that they arrived...
During the past 7 months, we've had all sorts of firsts - first breaths without a ventilator, first bottle, first night at home, first night sleeping all through the night, first blog update deadline missed, second blog update deadline missed, third blog update deadline missed...
And because of those missed deadlines, there's a lot to get you all caught up on (and of course a bunch of pictures and some video too)... so hang on to your hats, we're off!
Caroline - Little miss Caroline is still little and her not eating has been a pretty big issue for us. We're finally beginning to see some progress with her, but it has been a long and very frustrating path trying to get her to want to eat. After countless doctor appointments, occupational therapy visits, an x-ray swallow study, thickened feeds, it all culminated in a return to the hospital for Caroline in the end of May. In order to fast-track some tests and to extensively monitor her eating habits and the behaviors that we'd been reporting, the doctors placed Caroline back in the hospital for 3 days.
And it seems that from her admission, we may have figured out a solution. Caroline suffers from acid reflux and is on a high dose of Prilosec to combat it. Her food aversion was a result of her figuring out that when she ate, she felt bad and thus... why eat???
Now that we've seemed to have solved the pain of the acid reflux, she's beginning to realize that food isn't all that bad (and thus confirming that she IS actually my daughter). We may still have our moments, but it's not nearly the struggle we were encountering for the first few months out of the NICU.
I'm not going to sugar-coat it... the reason this blog is so late is directly tied to the constant battle we had to wage every 3 hours trying to get our daughter to eat her bottle. It was brutal, frustrating, and made us feel pretty powerless to help her. I'd tell you about it, but I think the video below explains it the best.
All in all, it made for a baby who just wasn't happy.
But as you can see from the video below... things are changing.
She's beginning to be happier and act more like "a normal baby" - which includes eating. This is big news for us b/c we were growing concerned about her slow rate of growth. If she's not growing consistently (especially b/c she started out so small), it can really affect her development. So, as parents, we're much happier that our little gal is beginning to eat.
Which leads us to some eating news about Logan.
The little guy (as little as 15lbs. can be) is now eating 1 meal a day of rice cereal. And loving it!!!
Check out the video of him trying it for the first time:
For as difficult as Caroline has been, Logan's been our saving grace. He's just been the perfect little guy for us- happy to play with us or by himself, easy to go to bed, hungry as a mule, and hardly ever fussy. I'm beginning to rethink his middle name, wanting to change it to Lebowski- because our little dude abides!
He's also discovered spit. And as you'll see in the video below- it's a blast for him!!!
So, as you can tell... we've been busy, but we're turning the corner to a much more fun sort of busy.
There's a lot more from the past few months and I'll let the videos and pictures tell the story:
First... Logan offers Caroline a little "help".
Next we enjoy a perfect chorus from both sides of Dad's lap!
And finally, from just this last weekend, someone's learning peekaboo!!!
And here are some fun pictures to get you caught up:
On Sunday the twins turned 7 months old... of course that's just 4 months old if you correct their age for the 3 months premature that they arrived...
During the past 7 months, we've had all sorts of firsts - first breaths without a ventilator, first bottle, first night at home, first night sleeping all through the night, first blog update deadline missed, second blog update deadline missed, third blog update deadline missed...
And because of those missed deadlines, there's a lot to get you all caught up on (and of course a bunch of pictures and some video too)... so hang on to your hats, we're off!
Caroline - Little miss Caroline is still little and her not eating has been a pretty big issue for us. We're finally beginning to see some progress with her, but it has been a long and very frustrating path trying to get her to want to eat. After countless doctor appointments, occupational therapy visits, an x-ray swallow study, thickened feeds, it all culminated in a return to the hospital for Caroline in the end of May. In order to fast-track some tests and to extensively monitor her eating habits and the behaviors that we'd been reporting, the doctors placed Caroline back in the hospital for 3 days.
And it seems that from her admission, we may have figured out a solution. Caroline suffers from acid reflux and is on a high dose of Prilosec to combat it. Her food aversion was a result of her figuring out that when she ate, she felt bad and thus... why eat???
Now that we've seemed to have solved the pain of the acid reflux, she's beginning to realize that food isn't all that bad (and thus confirming that she IS actually my daughter). We may still have our moments, but it's not nearly the struggle we were encountering for the first few months out of the NICU.
I'm not going to sugar-coat it... the reason this blog is so late is directly tied to the constant battle we had to wage every 3 hours trying to get our daughter to eat her bottle. It was brutal, frustrating, and made us feel pretty powerless to help her. I'd tell you about it, but I think the video below explains it the best.
All in all, it made for a baby who just wasn't happy.
But as you can see from the video below... things are changing.
She's beginning to be happier and act more like "a normal baby" - which includes eating. This is big news for us b/c we were growing concerned about her slow rate of growth. If she's not growing consistently (especially b/c she started out so small), it can really affect her development. So, as parents, we're much happier that our little gal is beginning to eat.
Which leads us to some eating news about Logan.
The little guy (as little as 15lbs. can be) is now eating 1 meal a day of rice cereal. And loving it!!!
Check out the video of him trying it for the first time:
For as difficult as Caroline has been, Logan's been our saving grace. He's just been the perfect little guy for us- happy to play with us or by himself, easy to go to bed, hungry as a mule, and hardly ever fussy. I'm beginning to rethink his middle name, wanting to change it to Lebowski- because our little dude abides!
He's also discovered spit. And as you'll see in the video below- it's a blast for him!!!
So, as you can tell... we've been busy, but we're turning the corner to a much more fun sort of busy.
There's a lot more from the past few months and I'll let the videos and pictures tell the story:
First... Logan offers Caroline a little "help".
Next we enjoy a perfect chorus from both sides of Dad's lap!
And finally, from just this last weekend, someone's learning peekaboo!!!
And here are some fun pictures to get you caught up:
 |
| Logan catches a nap with Grandpa Chris |
 |
| When she was really fussy, Caroline could nap anywhere. Here she's asleep on Mom's lap. |
 |
| Though they're still not really aware of each other, they seem to get along pretty well for now. Logan held her hand for the entire nap. |
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| Bathtime can be exhausting... or their warm fluffy blankets are just too comfortable!!! |
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| After a stressful feeding of Caroline, it wasn't uncommon to nap... for both of them. |
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| Grandma Carol learns that the warm sleeping baby can induce instant narcolepsy |
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| Caroline before her X-ray swallow test. They had to swaddle her and strap her in to keep her in one position and as still as possible. A tall order for our little wiggler. She was NOT pleased with us after this. |
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| My old college roommate Jeff Lawson visited from LA and was given some hardcore "hands-on" baby training. |
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| Someday when he's a teenager and been giving his mother a rough time, I'm going to bring out this photo and remind her that she's got it coming to her from him for taking this photo and putting it on Facebook. |
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| Logan didn't wait until his teen years. He projectile-pooped all over his Mom on Mother's Day! |
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| Jedi Master in Training. The force is strong with this one. |
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| I've got my derby hat... ready for the ride in the convertible Dad. What do you mean we don't have a convertible??? |
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| Derby hats are for suckers. I'm growing out my hair as fast as possible so that I can rock out some stylin' bows. |
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| Logan usually sleeps with his hands held high above his head. This one with his hands together was too cute to pass up. |
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| Right hand on her face is a very typical position to find Caroline asleep. |
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| Dad's shades are too big now... but I'll soon be stealing them ! |
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| Caroline during her hospital admission. She did pretty well, but was less than impressed with the nursing staff. She missed her favorites from the NICU - Megan, Ashley, Cheri, Karla, Sarah and all the other "Green Ladies". |
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| "What do you mean, she's here to stay, Dad???" |
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| Michael's Aunt Barb visited from CA and had a wonderful weekend pampering the babies. |
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| Grandpa Jim hanging out with Logan. |
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| I can almost sit up on my own Mom! |
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| This is the BEST toy Mom!!! You can't ever put it away and Dad doesn't have it at all!!! |
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| My hand's cold Mom. |
So we've been a little busy... sorry for the lack of updates. I'm looking into a way to update the blog easily from my iPhone. If I get that running, I'll be posting with a lot greater frequency - I can type with just one hand on it while the other is full of baby!!!
As always, we're extremely thankful for all the love and support we get from you all. We hope you all are having a wonderful spring and enjoying your family and loved ones.
Keep an eye out for us... we're beginning to be mobile... The whole clan's been out to breakfast a couple of times, out to dinner once, and even made a trek to Iowa City for a weekend. Topeka had better be ready for July 4th... If you see us out and about- don't hesitate to stop us and get caught up!
All our very best to you and your families!
Mike, Melissa, Logan & Caroline Vogel
Monday, March 21, 2011
138 days
138 days, 2 and a half hours.
3266.5 hours
195990 minutes
That's the amount of time that Caroline Alice Vogel spent in the Mercy NICU.
Today at 2:45 p.m. she checked out. Her only scheduled return is for a followup checkup and to visit the wonderful doctors, nurses, and staff.
The Vogel twins are home.
Though our long journey is just beginning, Melissa and I would like to take a moment at this milestone to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who has helped us reach this point.
To our doctors, nurses, staff and support services from Mercy:
You are amazing. While I would never in a million years want anyone to need the use of an NICU- if they do need you, I know how wonderful you are and I don't worry for their children. Your loving care, constant comfort, and unheralded dedication to the children and families in your unit is a treasure that I am honored to have experienced for the last 136 days. My children are healthy and happy and home because of you and your efforts. Thank you.
To our employers:
It's hard to describe to our friends and families how much you've meant to us. Your support, flexibility, and understanding have allowed our difficult journey to be as easy as possible. It's almost incomprehensible how we would have made it this far without you. We are truly lucky to have you in our lives. Thank you
To our families:
What can we say that we haven't told you in person already. Thank you. Thanks for the meals, the opportunities to catch a night's sleep, the love, support, advice and flexibility. Thanks for it all. You made us who we are and you continue to help us as we grow into parents. We'll be lucky to be a fraction as good as you are.
To our friends:
Thank you for the wonderful notes, gifts, and loving support throughout this process. Thanks for the offers for a "normal" night out. Thanks for the phone calls and understanding when we have to go because a baby is mid-meltdown. Thanks for your patience... for waiting to meet our gems until they can be exposed to you without worrying about a bad cold or infection being passed on. Thanks for reading the blog and commenting on how cute our kids are... it doesn't get old. Thanks for being great friends. We hope to have the chance to be great friends back to you.
Blessed- revisited
When we started in the NICU I posted my feelings about being blessed.
That sentiment has not changed.
This milestone, which seemed so far far away in early November could not have come to being without all your thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes. Whatever your religion, we appreciate all you've done for us. It's made a difference.
In 136 days - Midweek of the first week of August - Caroline will finally pass the number of days she spent in the hospital with the days she's spent at home. It will be less of a milestone for us. Likely, it will pass with little more than a mention. By then we'll have our routine, have begun our adventures outside the home, and be focused on our big milestone on the 5th of November.
By then, we'll still have the memories of the NICU. Faded will be the exact distinctions between the alarm bells, the way you could tell which day it is by the people working the front desk or answering the phone to patch us through to our nurse, or the schedule of which doctor will be tending to high-acuity babies after the weekend.
Intricacies blurred, our feelings will remain - we came in hoping to leave and left wishing we could stay. Scared and nervous as we were for our barely 4 pounds of children in the NICU when we left them that first night. We slept under the blanket of the knowledge that they were getting the very best care from the very best people.
As we head off beyond this milestone, we sleep again tonight under the blanket of the knowledge that our kids have been given the best chance heading out into this world and that there are a whole bunch of other "very best people" out here pulling for us and supporting us.
So yes, we continue to be blessed.
Our very best to each and every one of you and your families,
Mike, Melissa, Caroline and Logan Vogel
3266.5 hours
195990 minutes
That's the amount of time that Caroline Alice Vogel spent in the Mercy NICU.
Today at 2:45 p.m. she checked out. Her only scheduled return is for a followup checkup and to visit the wonderful doctors, nurses, and staff.
The Vogel twins are home.
 |
| A hug from Mom as she checks out her new surroundings. |
Though our long journey is just beginning, Melissa and I would like to take a moment at this milestone to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who has helped us reach this point.
To our doctors, nurses, staff and support services from Mercy:
You are amazing. While I would never in a million years want anyone to need the use of an NICU- if they do need you, I know how wonderful you are and I don't worry for their children. Your loving care, constant comfort, and unheralded dedication to the children and families in your unit is a treasure that I am honored to have experienced for the last 136 days. My children are healthy and happy and home because of you and your efforts. Thank you.
To our employers:
It's hard to describe to our friends and families how much you've meant to us. Your support, flexibility, and understanding have allowed our difficult journey to be as easy as possible. It's almost incomprehensible how we would have made it this far without you. We are truly lucky to have you in our lives. Thank you
To our families:
What can we say that we haven't told you in person already. Thank you. Thanks for the meals, the opportunities to catch a night's sleep, the love, support, advice and flexibility. Thanks for it all. You made us who we are and you continue to help us as we grow into parents. We'll be lucky to be a fraction as good as you are.
To our friends:
Thank you for the wonderful notes, gifts, and loving support throughout this process. Thanks for the offers for a "normal" night out. Thanks for the phone calls and understanding when we have to go because a baby is mid-meltdown. Thanks for your patience... for waiting to meet our gems until they can be exposed to you without worrying about a bad cold or infection being passed on. Thanks for reading the blog and commenting on how cute our kids are... it doesn't get old. Thanks for being great friends. We hope to have the chance to be great friends back to you.
Blessed- revisited
When we started in the NICU I posted my feelings about being blessed.
That sentiment has not changed.
This milestone, which seemed so far far away in early November could not have come to being without all your thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes. Whatever your religion, we appreciate all you've done for us. It's made a difference.
In 136 days - Midweek of the first week of August - Caroline will finally pass the number of days she spent in the hospital with the days she's spent at home. It will be less of a milestone for us. Likely, it will pass with little more than a mention. By then we'll have our routine, have begun our adventures outside the home, and be focused on our big milestone on the 5th of November.
By then, we'll still have the memories of the NICU. Faded will be the exact distinctions between the alarm bells, the way you could tell which day it is by the people working the front desk or answering the phone to patch us through to our nurse, or the schedule of which doctor will be tending to high-acuity babies after the weekend.
Intricacies blurred, our feelings will remain - we came in hoping to leave and left wishing we could stay. Scared and nervous as we were for our barely 4 pounds of children in the NICU when we left them that first night. We slept under the blanket of the knowledge that they were getting the very best care from the very best people.
As we head off beyond this milestone, we sleep again tonight under the blanket of the knowledge that our kids have been given the best chance heading out into this world and that there are a whole bunch of other "very best people" out here pulling for us and supporting us.
So yes, we continue to be blessed.
Our very best to each and every one of you and your families,
Mike, Melissa, Caroline and Logan Vogel
 |
| Getting a prep-talk from Mom |
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| Moving into our carseat for the maiden voyage |
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| A Paci is a must for the trip... |
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| Mom and Dad fighting over who gets to push her out of the NICU |
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| Mom won. And our escort Nurse Sarah laughed at Mike. |
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| Past the Nurses' Station |
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| Our Child-Life specialist cheered us on |
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| Loaded into the car. Caroline's taking it all in. Logan's been there-done that... nap time. |
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| Walking into the house on a nice Iowa Spring Day. |
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
No excuses...
Hey gang,
It's been quite a bit of time since the last update and I'm sorry for not having updated it since then.
The balancing act of having one baby at home and one in the NICU has been pretty challenging to manage -from a free time standpoint. When both kids were up there, it wasn't uncommon for Melissa and I to be able to see the kids till late, and then come home and still be effective getting things done (like blog updates).
With the little Duder home, however, it's been a bit more difficult to break away and type up an update in between poopy diapers, feedings, and the other fun stuff.
So, sorry for the lack of updates. Hopefully when they're both home we'll be able to squeeze out a little extra time.
Yes, you read that correctly. Caroline is still in the NICU.
She's doing great, but still needs to learn how to eat consistently before she'll be able to come home. One wouldn't think that a Vogel - especially one related to Mike- would have any issues with consistently eating, but that is the case for now. The issue is, as it's been explained to us, she uses a ton of energy just eating one bottle. The amount of energy she expends consuming one bottle is equivalent to a normal human running a marathon. And she has to do it 8 times a day. She just hasn't built up the stamina she needs to do this just yet.
She's been growing - topping out at 7lbs and 14 oz. - and she's become very alert and interactive with us and the nurses.
And her mom has been able to dress her up in all sorts of cute outfits too.
Her brother is doing quite well. Logan's weight is now a whopping 11lbs. 13 oz. Clearly he does not have any issue with eating.
Pooping? Now that's been a bit of an issue. Like many NICU babies, Logan's abdominal muscles haven't developed as well as most regular babies. This means it's been a bit of a challenge learning how to effectively evacuate. Again, one must wonder how a Vogel - especially one related to Mike - would have difficulty in this arena, but it has been a challenge. With the help of a neonatal gastrologist, some Milk of Magnesia, and some patience we're beginning to see some progress.
Logan has become quite a talker, opting to share his opinion on many matters.
He's also been home alone with Mom quite a bit, which has led to a wide variety of photographic sessions.
And over the last month or so, we've had a few visitors... family, that is. With the two having immune systems that are still pretty vulnerable, we haven't been able to take Logan out anywhere besides the NICU and his doctor visits or have lots of people meet him.
Hopefully once Caroline's home and things go smoothly for a while, we'll get the go ahead to show off our gang.
Here's a look at some of the visits with the family...
So, that's pretty much it... we've had a lot going on and remain super appreciative of all those who have reached out, helped out, and offered support.
Hopefully we'll have a "Coming home" update for you soon!
All our very best to you and your families,
It's been quite a bit of time since the last update and I'm sorry for not having updated it since then.
The balancing act of having one baby at home and one in the NICU has been pretty challenging to manage -from a free time standpoint. When both kids were up there, it wasn't uncommon for Melissa and I to be able to see the kids till late, and then come home and still be effective getting things done (like blog updates).
With the little Duder home, however, it's been a bit more difficult to break away and type up an update in between poopy diapers, feedings, and the other fun stuff.
So, sorry for the lack of updates. Hopefully when they're both home we'll be able to squeeze out a little extra time.
Yes, you read that correctly. Caroline is still in the NICU.
She's doing great, but still needs to learn how to eat consistently before she'll be able to come home. One wouldn't think that a Vogel - especially one related to Mike- would have any issues with consistently eating, but that is the case for now. The issue is, as it's been explained to us, she uses a ton of energy just eating one bottle. The amount of energy she expends consuming one bottle is equivalent to a normal human running a marathon. And she has to do it 8 times a day. She just hasn't built up the stamina she needs to do this just yet.
She's been growing - topping out at 7lbs and 14 oz. - and she's become very alert and interactive with us and the nurses.
And her mom has been able to dress her up in all sorts of cute outfits too.
 |
| A pink flower and a sundress |
 |
| A sporty top and pants |
 |
| Something from the lounge collection |
 |
| Sleeveless is in this year. |
 |
| Posing with Mom like she's on the runway! |
Her brother is doing quite well. Logan's weight is now a whopping 11lbs. 13 oz. Clearly he does not have any issue with eating.
Pooping? Now that's been a bit of an issue. Like many NICU babies, Logan's abdominal muscles haven't developed as well as most regular babies. This means it's been a bit of a challenge learning how to effectively evacuate. Again, one must wonder how a Vogel - especially one related to Mike - would have difficulty in this arena, but it has been a challenge. With the help of a neonatal gastrologist, some Milk of Magnesia, and some patience we're beginning to see some progress.
Logan has become quite a talker, opting to share his opinion on many matters.
He's also been home alone with Mom quite a bit, which has led to a wide variety of photographic sessions.
 |
| Fell asleep with his head against Dad's chest |
 |
| When you sleep against Dad's chest and he's wearing a sweater, you get indented. |
 |
| Working on a burp |
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| Not sure if I want this or not... might save it for later. |
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| Doing my best impression of Dad- passed out on the couch. |
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| Ready to go visit my sister... again. |
And over the last month or so, we've had a few visitors... family, that is. With the two having immune systems that are still pretty vulnerable, we haven't been able to take Logan out anywhere besides the NICU and his doctor visits or have lots of people meet him.
Hopefully once Caroline's home and things go smoothly for a while, we'll get the go ahead to show off our gang.
Here's a look at some of the visits with the family...
 |
| Logan and Great Grandma Theresa |
 |
| Great Grandpa LaVerne uses the "Mute Button" |
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| They may not have been born in KS, but they're Jayhawks!!! |
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| Logan and Grandpa Chris |
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| Caroline with Grandpa Chris and Logan with Grandma Linda |
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| Logan gets the forecast from Grandpa Jim |
So, that's pretty much it... we've had a lot going on and remain super appreciative of all those who have reached out, helped out, and offered support.
Hopefully we'll have a "Coming home" update for you soon!
All our very best to you and your families,
 |
| Mike |
 |
| Melissa |
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| Caroline & Logan |
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